Konica FP Konishiroku Hexanon 52mm f1.4

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

The FP, introduced to the market in 1963, is Konica's first SLR camera with the Copal Square shutter. The earlier models F, FS, and FSW all still had Konica's own Hi-Synchro shutter. In addition, the FP was the first Konica SLR to sport a central microprism spot on the mat screen as a focusing aid.

In Germany, the FP was distributed by external linkFoto-Quelle under their own brand as Revue SR. In the USA, it was likewise available as Wards slr700.

The standard lenses that were sold together with the Revue versions, all bear the designation Hexar without a manufacturer's name instead of the normal designation Konishiroku Hexanon. However, they were also built by Konica and are the same lenses as the respective Hexanons sold elsewhere.

The Konica FP is an exclusively mechanical camera for manual setting. It has no built-in light meter and therefore does not need any batteries.

Like with all mechanical cameras without light meter, the operating controls are quite basic. Beside some features that already where quite common at the time, like single-stroke transport lever, rewind crank, or instant-return mirror, the FP has a self-timer which also provides mirror lock-up functionality. When tripping the shutter release, the mirror flips up and the lens's aperture is being closed, so that the vibrations caused by the mirror have time to settle until the shutter opens after the self-timer delay. In addition, there are a stop-down button for depth-of-field preview in the viewfinder, M- and X-synch flash sockets, a self-resetting film counter and a film-type reminder dial below the rewind crank.

The lens mount of the FP is the older interner LinkF bayonet with a 40 mm diameter, without coupling for the aperture value set on the lens. The newer and much more readily available Konica lenses for the interner LinkAR bayonet cannot be used on this camera.

Given the use of matching lenses, the Konica FP has an automatic aperture mechanism – when the shutter is tripped, the lens is automatically stopped down by the camera body to the value that has previously been set manually on the lens. This was nothing new at the time, but it was not yet something to be taken for granted.

The viewfinder of the FP is relatively bright and clear. The mat screen is equipped with a central microprism spot as a focusing aid. Apart from the mat screen image, there are no informations available in the viewfinder.

Shutter speed range is from 1 s to 1/1000 s and B. The flash synch for electronic strobes was quite fast for the time with a shortest 1/125 s.

The position of the accessory shoe, that was available as a separate accessory, is a bit strange. It rests above the rewind crank and has to be removed from its seat for rewinding the film. It simply plugs into a matching guide on the camera body and has no flash contact. The flash bulbs or strobes have to be connected with a cable to the matching PC socket on the camera body.

From today's point of view, the Konica FP is not first choice for a user camera, it's more a collector's item, even though the cameras are not particularly expensive. The main problem is, that lenses and accessories for the Konica bodies with the older F bayonet are rare and not easy to get. From Konica, there are no wide angle lenses available at all with focal lengths shorter than 35 mm for the F bayonet.

The old Konica bodies and lenses are also of very high build quality and very rugged – but the operating controls on the FP are in general not as smooth and a pleasure to use as with the later cameras of the Autoreflex series. (source: www.buhla.de)

The Hexanon / Hexar 52 mm / 1:1.4 was the fastest standard lens for the cameras with the old internal linkF bayonet – and with its speed of 1:1.4, it was Konica's fastest lens for this lens mount at all.

It will also be Konica's oldest SLR lens, because it came as a standard lens with Konica's very first SLR body – the Konica F; for this model with its fully cross-coupled light meter, no other standard lenses were available. The slower and cheaper standard lenses Hexanon 50 mm / 1:2 and internal linkHexanon / Hexar 52 mm / 1:1.8 came later together with the following camera models without cross-coupled light meter.

The lens was not taken over to the newer internal linkAR bayonet, but has been discontinued with the bayonet change and replaced by the internal linkHexanon / Hexanon AR 57 mm / F1.4.

On the bodies that have been marketed in Germany under the Revue brand and in the USA under the brand name Wards, the lens only has the marking Hexar, without a manufacturer's name. On the normal Konica marked bodies, the lenses of this type wear the marking Konishiroku Hexanon. Right from the start and in all variations it had an automatic aperture, the camera body automatically closes the aperture to the value set on the lens prior to exposure. This was nothing to be taken for granted back in 1960.

Image quality is decent, the Hexanon / Hexar 52 mm / 1:1.4 renders sharp and contrasty images with neutral colour rendition, distortion-free and without obvious vignetting.

The difference in speed over the two budget standard lenses with 1:2 and 1:1.8, respectively, is about 2/3 and one full f-stop – this is nowhere near as important as it used to be in the days when the fastest colour film available was Kodachrome 64. Somtimes, the shallower depth-of-field when used wide open is desirable, especially for portraits. In low-light situations, it still can be the small difference that decides whether or not hand-held images can be made without blur caused by camera shake.

Like all lenses for the old F bayonet, the Hexanon / Hexar 52 mm / 1:1.4 is not very common. The best way to get one is together with a matching body, the lenses are scarcely offered on their own. Despite this, only the extremely rare version with the coupling for the light meter of the Konica F has a collector's value.
(Source: www.buhla.de)

Rolf · Expire: 2015-12-26

Wow Attila,

last week the starters and now the main dishes.

Congrats Wink

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Rolf · Expire: 2015-12-26

Hopefully I will get tomorrow my Hexanon 2/35mm and perhaps - witha little bit luck - another nice one which is missing in my little collection. Cross your fingers !

Wink

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

I just picked up an FP & 52/1.4
They both need a bit of TLC to be fully operational, the lens aperture is a little stiff, and the self timer needs help to keep going, both can use a cleaning, but are otherwise in good shape for their age.
Thanks for the write up.
I wonder if there are adapters for this lens to mount on other cameras? (FD? Md? M42? LTM? Etc...)
Edit:
The lens is now all cleaned and lubed, it took some effort to fix the aperture as it had been dropped and had bent some of the internal body, that is now fixed and works like new.
I just need an adapter for it.

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

Just found some pictures on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49576306@N08/sets/72157629129247421/